The Servants of War
by Organ Man
Summary: There is a history that modern trainers do not know about...but they may have to learn soon.
1. Chapter 1

A mighty warrior walks across a desolate field, pondering to himself. He thinks of the war he has left behind him, which has decimated the mightiest empire of the day to the point where it could never recover. The glorious empire and it's proud warriors, now nothing more than flesh for Pestilence to infect, bones for Famine to pick, and dust for Death to claim. What power has War, when war ends? When those who can wage war are all dead?

Hunger soon strikes him, and the only meat he sees is a mouse-hole in the ground. He reaches inside the hole and pulls out a tiny mouse, no bigger than his own hand. When he moves to kill the mouse, the tiny thing bites him with all it's might. The warrior barely feels it, but he is…amused at the tiny creature's defiance. Such a tiny thing, fighting against what is undeniably a hopeless situation.

 _Such a bold thing deserves more than dull teeth to defend itself_. The warrior thought to himself. Using power it had taken from a battle long before, War infused the tiny mouse with the power of lightning itself.

So the story goes…at least, this version of the story. There is a version for every animal, plant, fish and insect in the known world. And in a sense, all of them are true. Whatever the initial inspiration had been, War began an experiment that would shape the world forever.

When one asks a supposedly wise human scholar what War is, they will claim that the real face of war is soldiers dying in trenches of dysentery, starving on the marches for pointless causes, a sniper killing a hapless fool before he can accomplish anything.

But War is none of those things. Those are the domains of his brothers, Famine, Pestilence and Death. Inevitable side-effects of War, but not War itself.

No, War is battle. It is a duel, it is strength, it is power. It is swords clashing, will tested. It is courage and ferocity, facing one another and proving their mettle with all their might. With every strike, every blow, every battle, War is empowered, and his servants with him.

But War knew that, as things were, he could not strengthen himself without strengthening his brothers. Death he could do nothing about, but Famine and Pestilence, neither of whom he trusted, would always follow in his wake, feeding off the fallen before devouring the victors like carrion birds and scavengers. Was it possible for him to create a war that wouldn't end up fueling his treacherous brothers?

He soon came upon an idea. Battles that could start, end and repeat again and again, with countless outcomes that didn't involve death and disease tainting his victory. A world defined by fighting.

It took time before his plans fully came to fruition. Several…unimaginative humans regarded his servants as merely another weapon, using them the same way as they had used their original tools. But the problem with weapons that could think was that they might begin to think you aren't fit to wield them. Realizing that they couldn't call themselves the strongest anymore, they acquiesced to the demands of War and his servants. After a few… examples had been made, of course.

First and foremost, the humans had to prove themselves individually worthy. There would be no inheriting of warriors because of family names, no handouts due to abstract concepts, no purchases to favor the rich. You want a fighter? You have to earn it.

It wasn't hard to come up with a way to make them work to get War's servants…they had to come and find them, and then they had to fight them, before they would consider obeying the humans. They had to brave the weather, climb the mountains, forage and hunt themselves…they had to prove they were strong and capable enough to handle the creatures they wanted to command. And even after that, they had to take good care of them, prove themselves worthy and responsible owners. Those who weren't soon learned how fragile they actually were.

Other things began to shape themselves as time went on. The church was still in power, after all, and they wouldn't let this new movement pass without co-opting it. So the battles became about fighting representatives of the seven deadly sins. Wrath, Lust, Greed, etc. Seven trainers with specific gimmicks and types that would symbolize their respective 'sin'. Once they were defeated, they gained a small sigil of their triumph that they would use to shed a drop of blood in honor of War. They eventually became pins that they could use to prick themselves easily.

When did it become eight, many have asked. My theory is the eighth sin was Blasphemy. A few humans, idiots at best and heretics at worst, got it into their heads that they could tame the gods the same as the other creatures. At least 3 cities were destroyed as a result of this foolishness. And seven sins became eight.

Naturally, trainers needed yet another way to filter out the best of the best, so they added another part to their journey. Anyone who could triumph against their own sins would battle against the four representatives of War, Famine, Pestilence and Death. Once they had defeated all of them, they would become…god? The church never liked that part.

It hardly mattered what they liked after a while. Their god, and their church, soon fell out of favor, but the battles continued. Even as the metaphors of sins and harbingers fell away, even as the sport became commercialized, even as children became the primary source of training. The fights remain, and really, that is all that matters.

In the end, all trainers serve War. Including my own. Sometimes I wonder how Ash would feel about knowing that. He's the sort who would claim that War is a terrible, monstrous thing to be avoided, but the battles we regularly participate in are different because of friendship. Still, that naiveté can be forgiven in a child.

At least he understands that it's _our_ efforts that he gains his glories. Certain other trainers have gotten it into their heads that they and they alone are responsible for victory, regarding us as nothing more than tools for THEIR glory. Arrogant fools.

But they'll learn soon. I've been hearing rumblings among my fellow servants of War. Murmurs of a poison seeping through the tournaments. Heretics and idiots repeating the mistakes of the past. Brats and bullies seeking to circumvent the rules so they gain more power for themselves.

They need a lesson in just who MADE those rules in the first place. And if they won't learn?

Ash may need to learn how to appreciate War very soon…


	2. Chapter 2

_Ok, first off, I sincerely apologize for the html goobydegook of the first draft of this story. I honestly don't know how that happened. Free advice: double check your documents before submitting,_ especially _when you're copy-pasting._

 _Second, there won't exactly be a multi-chapter story here. Well, here on this site, anyway. The idea was supposed to be a one-shot lore based on an interesting idea I had. If you would like to see my take on a Pokemon Revolution, there's my 'New Era' series on here...but I'm actually commissioning a comic reboot on Deviantart:_ art/Feeling-Like-a-Winner-Page-1-729304967

 _If you take a look, be sure to comment._

 _But anyway, for those of you who've expressed interest in this particular story, here's a more detailed breakdown of my concept of the first gym leaders and elite 4:_

The gym leaders:

 **Greed** : A temple lined with gold, with massive piles of coins in rooms just to the side of a long hallway. If any trainer tries to take a single gold coin from the temple, they are thrown out. One must ignore the supposedly easy-to-take valuables and walk past the piles of wealth to the back of the temple. If they can resist their greed long enough to reach the leader, they will battle the greediest Pokemon in the world. The badge is in the image of a gold coin, but it isn't worth anything on it's own.

Pokemon: Meowth, Murkrow, Klefki, Sableye.

 **Envy** : Viewing trainers that seem superior to you can inspire some nasty feelings. The walls of this temple are lined with graven images of past trainers and their triumphs, and through ways not known, there will always be an image of your greatest rival, and never one of you. Resist the urge to deface or spite these images and face off against avatars of envy to win a green-coloured badge.

Pokemon: Ditto, Mimikyu, Kecleon, Smeargle

 **Gluttony** : This particular temple is a massive kitchen connected to a restaurant. Eating at the restaurant is acceptable, but when you're taking the trainers challenge, you must resist eating a single bite from the piles of delectable delicacies lining the halls leading to the temple leader/head chef. The temptations don't stop as he or she challenges you with some delicious-looking Pokemon. Defeat them and a reflection of your own gluttony and take with you a badge in the shape of an open mouth.

Pokemon: Vannilite, Bounsweet, SLurpuff, Swalot

 **Lust** : A 'place of ill repute' that attempts to distract you from your quest with all sorts of pleasures of the flesh, temptations to delay your quest for one more night. Undeniably the most controversial of the challenges even in the first days, the constant and conflicting attempts to make the challenge more 'respectable' may have been the precursor to the eventual sanitization of the gyms in general. Regardless, challenging the madam of the establishment renders you worthy of a badge in the shape of kissing lips.

Pokemon: Salazzle, Jynx, Gardevoir, Roserade

 **Anger** : Fury burns, and this fiery temple does everything in it's power to emulate that feeling. Constantly-burning flames line the walls of this challenge, the steam soaking into challengers' skin. Resist the urge to quit in fury to face the leader of the temple, and take down the most dangerous examples of fury in the Pokemon world. Cool their fury and win the badge of wrath, a graven image of a flame.

Pokemon: Primeape, Gyarados, Zangoose, Typhlosion.

 **Sloth** : You must be tired after all those battles, especially considering what the last few temples demanded of you. But you cannot rest in the temple of Sloth, no matter how appealing the beds in the rooms look. If you sleep here, you may not wake up. Carry yourself to the temple leader and triumph over laziness. Once you have, you may take a badge in the shape of a pillow. Then maybe you can take a break.

Pokemon: Snorlax, Slaking, Komala, Slowbro

 **Pride** : Feeling accomplished? You're almost there...but don't get too proud. The massive temple of Pride is designed to make you feel tiny, in both a physical sense and in the sense that you are one trainer in thousands...the names of every challenger and champion is written in a plain list on the walls of the temple. Even if you triumph over the last few temples and the elite, you'll ultimately just be another name on the list. Perhaps that's why the prize for defeating the proudest Pokemon is such a tiny, insignificant badge.

Pokemon: Serperior, Persian, Vespiqueen, Machamp

 **Heresy** : There is one final lesson to be learned before you can challenge the Four. Not so long ago, foolhardy trainers attempted to command the gods themselves, while others somehow gave unholy machines the same life given by the gods. Their broken, mangled bones line the entrance of the final temple, and all the residents serve to teach you the importance of knowing one's place in the world...prophecies of doom for those who would defy the gods, and the warped attempts to emulate creation itself. People forget how monstrous people regarded 'artificial' Pokemon at first, though they may be accepted today. A badge in the shape of a gear warns of overestimating man's place in the world.

Pokemon: Absol, Xatu, Magnezone, Klinklang

Once all your badges have been earned, you will have shown that you have triumphed over the sins from within. Now you must face the adversities that come from without, that cannot be blamed on a single person's inner demons. The Four must be beaten to become the true champion.

 **War** : The founder of battling itself, War sits on a chair made of weapons in a room filled with mementos of the last great war. Suits of armour for humans and Pokemon alike, including the ones sliced to pieces by the Pokemon uprising. All of his Pokemon are warriors, and you have to defeat them all in a grand tribute to the reason you are even here.

Pokemon: Skarmory, Bisharp, Aegislash, Rhyperior, Escavalier

 **Famine** : The room is almost completely made of the bones of humans and Pokemon who died of starvation during the great hunger. The gaunt avatar of Famine comes after you with representations of the reasons for that hunger - locusts, blizzards, deserts and scavengers. Make sure you've eaten before you challenge this being.

Pokemon: Abomasnow, Yanmega, Mandibuzz, Hippowdon, Ferrothorn

 **Pestilence** : Hopefully Famine will have consumed your lunch, because Pestilences' room will make you want to vacate your stomach. The room itself seems to rot as the avatar of disease plagues you with insects and poison to challenge your health and skill. Stay strong and hold back your disgust...It's not over.

Pokemon: Muk, Scolipede, Reunculus, Toxicroak, Weezing

 **Death** : What can be said about your final challenge? You face your mortality in a near pitch-black room designed to terrify you to your soul. Defeat death itself and you will be truly be worthy of the title of Champion...once you've beaten the current champion. But you must go through death first.

Pokemon: Shedinja, Dusknoir, Spiritomb, Cofagrigus, Chandelure.


End file.
